I have found a few threads about an editor for editing the new .dat2 format files and it seems to me that there is no such editor available. Or is it? I'm working on a simple application to edit those myself (only the appearance options cause everything else can be done through IMP website). So is there a need for such an application or is there one available already? If there is could someone point me to it?

1. unpack all
2. create male 1-3, female 1-3 (according to voices)
3. at first start point it to your ja-folder
4. do not alter the voices, they are german (they have a different tone)
5. alter what ever you like

6. if, but only if you don't find out of your own by try and error, ask
7. start a new game and import your imps by callsign

@ OffTopic

if you give me an email-addy, i sent you a pdf, with screenshots and translations, 'cause i don't know anything about that upload-stuff

it may be of interest that I released a new version (0.5 beta) of JA2IMPAct. You can find it here. The new version is able to show the item pics. You also can search an item by a search string or filter item category.

Now it extracts voices and portrait pictures from the SPEECH.SLF and FACES.SLF at the point of installation. So that you get the voices corresponding the language of your JA2 installation. This is a feature but also a little problem. Because many people extracted the SLF files to corresponding folders and modded the voices/portraits. JA2IMPAct ignores this at the moment and looks only inside of the SLF files. I intend release a new SVN tomorow to fix this.

I did not announce JA2IMPAct here because at the moment its German only. In the next major release I intend to make it multilingual by using language scripts. But this will take a while. If you want to host JA2IMPAct in another (faster) host you are alowed to do this. JA2IMPAct is released under the terms of GPL.

Remember that JA2IMPAct is beta state. I will be happy if you post bugs and suggestions here.

Have fun with it !

Scharfrichter

P.S. please forgive me my poor english skills !
P.P.S. thanks for making a little pdf tutorial for it !

@ Logisteric --> thank you for your offer to translate the imp editor. But first I have to prepare the whole project to get multilingual. That means I have replace all fixed strings and text propertys of every object inside of the code with variables/constants. After this I have to code an interface to read the text file that contains the translated content.

For new installation: just extract and execute
For update: overwrite the old JA2IMPAct.exe and then execute

You should know, that voices every time are loaded when you are clicking a corresponding button. But portrait pictures are loaded only once when you execute JA2IMPAct. So if you have installed new custom portraits you have to restart JA2IMPAct to see it inside.

TIPP: JA2IMPAct does not write to your registry. It only creates 3 database files, 1 ini file and extracts 6 wav from speech slf. If you want to uninstall just delete the .exe and the files JA2IMPAct created. Thats all.

TIPP: You can also run multiple installations (e.g. for each mod you installed one). It just needs an own directory for every installation.

TIPP: If you want to rebuild the items database (e.g. you modded the items.xml) just delete the JA2IMPAct.ini file and JA2IMPAct will proceed a new installation.

I just downloaded the English version. Let's see. 1)unpacked it to JA2 folder; 2)In the JAImpact folder, the program is executed; 3)Made modifications to my IMP plus better weapons; 4)Under settings tab, push the load button for Items.xml; 5)Exit the program and start JA2 1.13; 6)Start new game with IMP that has the exact the same name, callname, portrait, and voices as in JAImpact; 7)It doesn't work. What's the proper way to do it?

I just downloaded the English version. Let's see. 1)unpacked it to JA2 folder; 2)In the JAImpact folder, the program is executed; 3)Made modifications to my IMP plus better weapons; 4)Under settings tab, push the load button for Items.xml; 5)Exit the program and start JA2 1.13; 6)Start new game with IMP that has the exact the same name, callname, portrait, and voices as in JAImpact; 7)It doesn't work. What's the proper way to do it?

hmmm ... I guess you did not save it or you saved it not as \Data\.dat2 ... am I right ?

No dice, Scharfrichter. I saved it but when I start a new IMP, the game seems to override IMP's configuration over the JA2impact one's. Perhaps you could fill in "one, two, three" instructions.

Indeed, the problem appears to be that you are starting a new IMP, rather than loading the one you already made.

Step by step instructions as requested:

1. Use IMPact to make your imp as you want him/her.
2. Save.
3. Start new (or old) game of JA2. Open laptop/IMP page.
4. Type name of file (usually the same as the callsign) into box.
5. ???
6. Profit.

Got it to work. Totally appreciated, Shatara. I just type the callsign of my IMP in the activation code of the IMP creation page. Viola! An instant beefed up IMP pops up. It's too bad that JA2impact only works if you create the IMP from scratch. I wish I could modify the IMP's stats after I already created the IMP from scratch. Anyway,I thank Scharfrichter for his contribution for JA2 community.

next question: so when editor will be ready to translate to another languages?

And I have a new idea. I don't know how much work it requires, but is there possibility to make small window in editor, which would show to user how exactly IMP would look in game on tactical screen? I mean his clothes, hair, skin..

many thanks!... next question: so when editor will be ready to translate to another languages?

At the moment I'm working on a general translation suite for FreePascal/Lazarus (in wich JA2IMPAct is written). Goal is that the user can create/clone a .po language file, by using a simple file explorer and text editor to make a translation of any language he/she wants. The programm will look up for this files and lists them in a combo- or listbox where the user can select it at runtime to get it translated to the language of choice without rewriting a single byte of the sourcecode.

But as this translation suite is not intended to work with JA2IMPAct only but with every project developed with FreePascal/Lazarus this will take a little time !

usrbid

A rotating walking animation, giving off a shot in each direction would be great! One can dream...

YES ... this would be great ! And this would be also a lot of work because FreePascal/Lazarus is not even able to show an animated .gif file. Shurely there are even librarys available to develop complete 3D games. But I would have to understand how JA2 assembles this animations and so on.

At the moment I simply have not enought time to do this. If someone would help me by coding a pascal unit or .dll to assemble the animation pics I would think it over. But actualy this is just a one man project. I hope you will understand this. Otherwise I would have to do the folowing .... :roulette:

A rotating walking animation, giving off a shot in each direction would be great! One can dream...

YES ... this would be great ! And this would be also a lot of work because FreePascal/Lazarus is not even able to show an animated .gif file. Shurely there are even librarys available to develop complete 3D games. But I would have to understand how JA2 assembles this animations and so on.

At the moment I simply have not enought time to do this. If someone would help me by coding a pascal unit or .dll to assemble the animation pics I would think it over. But actualy this is just a one man project. I hope you will understand this. Otherwise I would have to do the folowing .... :roulette:

Scharfrichter

And what about my less complicated idea, which would be great for beggining? I mean just static window - standing merc with gun in his hands. I think that this wouldn't be so difficult..